Page 20 of Side Hustle
I startled, lost in the moment of being at the ocean. Rip was off the boat, a huge paddleboard on each side of him and two black paddles tucked under his arm. His shoulder muscles were straining as he stood there holding everything.
“If you can just grab the paddles,” he asked, looking down at them held precariously against his body.
I got close to grab them, my stupid nose doing its sniffing thing automatically. Rip had a unique scent that I secretly loved. He didn’t bother with cologne usually, so it had to be a combination of soap and just him. Whatever it was, I loved it. Maybe even a little obsessed with it.
He marched off with our boards and I trailed behind, struggling with the long, awkward paddles and dropping one of them in the process. It clanked loudly against the metal plank and had Rip glancing back. He only smiled and kept walking to the slip closest to the open ocean. I wrangled the damn thing back up and had to nearly run to catch up to him.
“No one warned me we’d be exercising today,” I huffed, dropping the paddles as soon as I got to Rip’s side. They clanked and rolled, landing on his bare foot and making him hop out of the way. He glared at me, but I was impervious. He promised to put me in a good mood, not sweat myself into a worse mood.
“Have you paddleboarded before?”
I glanced up at him and wondered if I should lie. “I think you’ll see shortly that I’ve never been a good balancer. Paddleboarding, skateboarding, surfing. All fine sports, but just not something I’m good at.”
Rip listened to me and nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. His eyes were always like that. Super intense. It could have been the frown lines or it could have just been the way he always focused solely on the person he was talking to. When most people these days whip out their phones every two seconds to check the screen, it felt oddly wonderful to be studied so closely.
“No problem. We’ll start you out on your knees and go from there.”
And there went my brain. Sliding straight into the gutter.
Come on, Hazel, pull it together!
Rip gave me his hand and I took it, holding on for dear life while I leaned away from the dock and kneeled on the board exactly as he told me to do. Once I was on, the whole thing began to shake.
“Easy. Just relax. The board is huge, it won’t tip unless you do something crazy. I promise.” His smooth voice could have charmed a snake.
I believed him, my nerves finally settling and the board followed.
“Okay. I’m going to gently push you away from the dock and get on my board. Here’s your paddle.”
He handed me a paddle and gave the board a push that didn’t feel all that gentle to me. I floated away from the dock and had the fleeting thought that I just might be headed out to sea where I’d never be recovered. Maybe surprises weren’t so good after all.
“Paddle, Hazel,” Rip called out to me.
I swiveled my head to see him by the dock. I’d already drifted fifty feet away, the current moving me south. Swiveling back, I realized if I didn’t start paddling, I was headed straight for the rocks on the other side of the mouth of the marina.
“Stupid paddleboarding. Stupid paddle. Stupid mother.” I chanted away, splashing my paddle into the water and trying to divert my path. I did get the board moving, an inch at a time. Most of my paddling was ineffective, the current much stronger than my feeble attempts.
“Like this.” Rip was suddenly by my side on his own board, one hand on top of his paddle and one halfway down, digging into the water like a pro.
I mimicked his grip and finally started to move against the current. I almost bounced with glee but figured at the last second that might not be a good thing on my board.
“There you go,” he crooned, staying right by my side, a barrier between me and the rocks if it came down to that.
I paddled faster and harder, the wind in my hair and a delicious burn starting up my shoulders. And Rip crooning, let’s be real. It was pretty damn motivating.
“Head over this way. There’s a little alcove that’s perfect for resting.” Rip had started pulling back to the coastline.
I looked around and realized we were north of the marina now, in a part of the coastline I wasn’t familiar with. My paddle splashed in the water for two strokes on the right, one on the left, a pattern I kept up until I was right next to Rip and he sat down on his board. The current was nonexistent here in this tucked-away cove. Copying Rip, I put my paddle down lengthwise on my board and sat down on my butt. My screaming shoulders thanked me.
“Fun, right?” Rip smiled full out, looking ten years younger without the frown.
I smiled right back. The sun was warm on my face, the wind cooled me down, and Rip had successfully gotten me out of my funk.
“Yeah, it really is. You cured my blues!” I gave him the jazz hands, which only made him chuckle.
“Check this out.” He spun and lay down on the board next to his paddle. His hands went behind his head and he looked like a model for board shorts.
“Oh!” My board tipped a bit as I leaned for a closer look and I jolted back. Rip looked over at me, probably wondering why I was such a klutz. “Let me try that.”
